FSE

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The sounds of night time Rejalion echoed throughout the city, the sound of cars and people could be heard rising from the streets to the tops of the buildings. A draft of wind blew across the cityscape as a figure sat on the edge of the building, an apple in his hand as he looked down upon the sparsely lit stretch of the city at night, people moving from place to place early in the evening.

Thunder growled in the distance, clouds over the horizon flashing briefly as the figure watched. He smiled and took a bite out of his apple, the crisp fruit splitting between his teeth. He then stared at the fruit in his hand as he chewed it up, and recalled the trouble he had to go through to get a hold of one as the sweetness flowed down his throat.

Apples were rare nowadays. Ever since the Decimation of Paradicial, apples, like other fruit, became close to 'extinction'. There are only few places where apple trees are said to actually grow, and those places themselves are kept secret from the world.

Apples had, sadly, become just as valuable as gold.

"Let me go you bastard!"

The young man frowned and held the apple out over the edge as he tasted the bitter sourness. "You weren't worth the trouble at all, little rabbit..." The man muttered with disdain. He then tossed the apple into the air, would be to the disappointment of any if they saw him discard something so precious. The man stood up on the edge as the apple ascended towards the sky.

In the instant that the apple reached the peak of its ascent, the man suddenly flicked out a sub-hand rifle and took flawless aim before pulling the trigger. A gunshot cut through the night air as swift as the bullets that sliced through the apple with subtle force, splitting the fruit apart and leaving the pieces to fall to the streets below. The young man watched with a stony face and still-red eyes, as lightning gleamed in his eyes for a bare moment. ______________________________________________________________

Background Music (Constant) - Yajuu no Chi

It was the evening before last. The twin moons hung high in the skies, as a cold breeze of wind blew over the city. The wastelands that stretched out to the horizon were as seemingly barren and desolate as ever. However, there was more to be found in the junk heaps of the Factory District.

A Terran golden rabbit ran through the wastes of the Factory District, ducking under jutting pieces of junk and darting around turns in the labyrinth of junk piles, his breath quick and shallow as he sprinted as fast as he could.

His heartbeat pulsed with frantic fright as he heard the cruel laughter echoing across the scape of the junkyards. "Run, run little rabbit!" A voice called out from a distance as the rabbit stopped for a bare moment, swift breaths passing as he tried to figure out where to go.

"Oh little Axel Voltea... I will find you... The rabbit can never elude the hunter for so long..." The crooning and snide voice taunted as Axel started to run again, his boots darting upon dirty, trash-littered ground, the wind howling as it rushed past his face.

"You will tire eventually... You will crawl into your little hole... And I 'will' find you..." The voice taunted again, as Axel glanced around quickly in fear, seeing his pursuer in every shadow, red eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

Axel tripped suddenly over a pipe and he fell to the ground with a cry. He winced and cried out softly in pain as he landed on shattered glass, the shards cutting into his flesh and fur. He slowly pulled himself up, his arms burning as blood dripped from his cuts and soaked into his golden fur. Axel took no time to rest, and still continued to run.

"Those cuts look rather... Hindering... Are you sure you don't want to take a moment to rest and lick your wounds...?" The voice jested. Axel gritted his teeth as he still ran through the junkyards, knowing that his pursuer was close if he could see that Axel hurt himself.

Axel reached the edge of the junkyards, and he could see one of the abandoned factories not too far away. The laughter started again and Axel ran for his life, darting for the entrance to the Factory as sudden gunshots tore through the night air. Axel's eyes widened in panic as bullets in their threes shattered across the wall beside him, bursting with sparks of fire that gleamed in his eyes.

Axel looked back once more to see his pursuer walking casually towards him, his sub-hand rifle raised straight and true with Tri-Reel revolving after the shots. Axel took in the sight of his pursuer once more, a young Human who looked no older than 20, his red eyes and white smile gleaming in the moonlight, the wind running through his soft blonde hair and blowing his tattered black trench coat.

Axel leapt into the Factory without wasting a second, stumbling slightly down the corridor and leaping into the manufacturing area with swift footsteps upon metal.

The young man with red eyes drew his blade in a backhand motion as he entered the factory, drawing the tip across thin air in horizontal motion as he walked. The blade coursed with energy, and seemed to actually slice through the veil of reality, opening a rift into fiery darkness. The man kept walking on, sheathing his blade before reloading the reel in his gun, as a demon leapt through the rift before it closed behind him. The demon was one of the middle minions of the demonic hierarchy, brandishing flames in his hands as he snarled and flapped his tattered red wings.

Axel could hear the roar of the demon, and the unholy cry was enough to make his heart beat twice as fast as he looked around for ways to escape. Suddenly, the factory was brought back to life as the dark red lights indicating idleness became white light, steam and smoke erupting from the machines as they whirred to life and began to work.

Axel jumped back from the machinery to safety as a heavy panel slammed on a conveyor belt that he was only just standing on. Axel slowly stood up with a groan, the deafening sound of manufacturing was in his sensitive ears, and Axel winced slightly. Suddenly, another gunshot, and bullets ricocheted off machinery as Axel ducked down instinctively. The laughter started again.

The man stood upon the catwalk overlooking the manufacturing area and smirked as he leaned over the railing. "This little rabbit seems lost amongst man's folly of machinery..." The man mocked with a chuckled. "He should be quite careful, lest he be..." The man went on as he walked across the catwalk. He then stopped and glanced at Axel. "Crushed..." The man finished, a dark and murderous look crossing his young face.

Axel stared at the man for a moment, but had no time to think. He dove to the side as the man fired twice more at him, rolling across the metal grating and ducking behind cover. Axel looked back, and, to his misfortune, he saw the demon he had heard from before.

"Oh, did I also warn the rabbit to beware of the hunting dog...?" The mocking voice of the man echoed. Axel turned tail instantly and continued to run as the demon kicked off the floor and surged towards the Terran rabbit with breakneck haste, hurling fireballs at his prey. Axel just barely managed to cut to the left as the fireballs struck the machinery beside him. He stumbled subsequently, but managed to recover his footing and continue running. The laughter of the man started once more, travelling throughout the factory as Axel ran.

Finally, Axel darted behind a niche; the sound of the demon's snarling could be heard not too far away. Axel took a deep breath as he drew his handgun and disabled the safety lock. The snarling grew closer and closer, as Axel could feel the atmosphere around him beginning to choke with heat and ash. He took one more sharp breath and mustered his courage.

As the demon ran up the corridor, Axel leapt out of his hiding spot with yell, pulling the trigger multiple times as he pointed the gun at the demon. The demon saw Axel slide across the floor and pull a barrage of shots, but was too slow to react as the bullets cut through his flesh. The demon roared out in pain as Axel summoned up his Gun Meister power of Haste, and in that instant his speed became blinding.

The demon slowly recovered and conjured fire in his claws, seeing the swift rabbit dart up towards him. As Axel fired more bullets in swift succession, the demon ignored the pain and hurled fireballs at the floor in front of Axel, before sweeping an infernal wave in front of him.

Axel jumped over the fireballs and cartwheeled dextrously, pushing off the floor and propelling himself into the air once more as the wave of demonic energy washed across the metal grating. Axel ejected the empty magazine in his handgun and reloaded with another one in a single swift instant, before landing on the floor.

He was right in front of the demon now, whose slow reaction time made it all the more easier for the rabbit. Axel put his gun hand firmly on the demon's right shoulder and kicked off the floor, pulling a small knife free from a scabbard at his belt and holding it in a backhand as he somersaulted over the demon and between his tattered wings. In his mid-fall, Axel plunged the dagger deep and hard into the demon's neck, dragging it down and through the demon's spine before his feet landed on the floor. The demon screamed out in excruciating agony as Axel changed his handling of the dagger, holding it right way up as pulled it free and brought his arm around the demon's neck.

He poked the gun into the back of the demon before pulling the trigger repeatedly in swift consecution, the knife being brought across and slicing through the demon's throat and killing off the screams, along with the demon himself. Axel stepped back and let go of the corpse as it fell to the floor and melted away into shadowy mist.

"So the rabbit slaughters the dog? Then the Hunter will finish the job himself!" The man's voice shouted angrily. Axel sheathed his knife, locked his gun and glanced over his shoulder, before continuing his escape, sprinting through the corridors, his speed augured by his power of haste so that he became a golden blur darting through the factory. He held tightly onto the gun as he continued to run with fleeting feet.

Axel took a left at a T-Junction, only to stop dead on as he saw his pursuer in that instant. The young man strutted casually through the corridor, gun raised in a heartbeat. Axel leapt to the side as bullets surged through the corridor and ricocheted around him, shocked at how accurate the man was in almost hitting him, despite having double speed. Axel clambered to his feet and kept running, trying to leave his pursuer behind.

Axel's breath began to grow hoarse once more as he jumped through a doorway and slammed the steel door shut behind him, gunshots sounding off and bullets clattering on the door. Axel slowly stepped back from the door, when suddenly the door glowed red and began to melt, as the sound of magma bursting could be heard.

Axel turned around without a second thought and hurled himself over the railing of the catwalk and down to the floor below. His keen ears could pick up the sound of the door being kicked down without effort as he made some distance between him and his pursuer.

I have to get out of here... I can't let him catch me... Axel thought frantically as he sprinted through the Factory, panting heavily as he surged through the areas. I won't go back... I won't... I can't... He continued to think, glancing about him as he ran through each area of the factory, the deafening sound of machinery in his ears once more.

Axel ducked behind machinery suddenly as gunshots tore through the air, the sharp sounds of bullets clattering upon metal mingling with the heavy metallic sound of the factory at work. "Give up, little rabbit! It will only be a matter of time for me!" The man called out from above.

Axel frowned as he noticed how his pursuer took fancy to high ground. "In that case..." Axel murmured took a deep breath and paused for a moment, as he focused and heard his pursuer reloading his gun. Axel then opened his eyes and stepped out from cover, raising his handgun. "You can wait a little longer!" Axel yelled out, pulling the trigger multiple times as he had his target in sight.

The man's eyes widened in surprise and he didn't waste a moment to leap up the catwalk and roll across the metal grate floor as bullets ricocheted off railing and metal with sparks flying. The man then grunted as he stood to his feet and watched his prey take the opportunity to flee. "This one is full of surprises..." The man murmured to himself with intrigue, as he finished reloading his gun and cocked it battle-ready. He had to admit to himself, he did not expect his prey to have such gall.

Axel continued to run for his life, his heartbeat was now in his head as he began to tire quickly and his stamina began to fade with every five footsteps he took. The only thing that drove him was freedom and escape from the Hunter. I won't be caught. I won't... I'm not going back. I--

Suddenly, the metal grate floor fell away beneath his feet, and Axel's eyes widened as he stumbled in mid-air. "Uhmf--No!" He cried out suddenly as he reached out with his free hand to grab hold of something, anything to stop his fall.

Axel felt his heart jump into his mouth as his hand managed to stop his fall, his fingers gripping on the edge of the metal grate floor on the other side of the gap that gaped into darkness below Axel. He swung with panic and struggled to get his other arm up onto the panel.

But in a subtle moment, Axel's fingers slipped and his eyes widened before he fell, crying out in fear as he fell into the darkness below. Not long after, the cry was cut off with a deadening thud. All was silent afterwards save the distant noise of machinery.